Tape dispenser with measuring means



Dec. 10, 1957 D. c. GERsTNl-:R 2,815,576

TAPE DISPENSER WITH MEASURING MEANS Filed April l2, 1955 Duane 6. Gersner v IN VEN TOR.

BY Hmm TAPE DISPENSER WITH MEASURENG MEANS Duane C. Gersiner, McKeesport, Pa. Application April 12, 1955, Serial No. 500,831

6 Claims. (Cl. 33-131) The present invention relates to an improved holder and dispenser for what may be called a conventional roll of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, the principal purpose of the invention being to enable the user to catch hold of the free end of the tape, in a well known manner, and to completely unwind the roll, or to handily withdraw portions of predetermined length.

In places of business where the salesman or other attendant has to wrap packages qui-ckly, it is the present practice, as is well known, to rely on short strips of adhesive or pressure-sensitive tape in making up the package. Inasmuch as relatively short pieces Ioften serve the general needs of a user, many and varied styles and forms of dispensers have been devised to include a structural provision permitting the tape to be drawn from the holder in lengths -or pieces of predetermined length.

An object rof the instant invention is, therefore, to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed and performing tape dispensers which embody measuring means. This is accomplished herein by way of a structure which is simple and `economical of construction and in which the free end portion of the tape roll may be conveniently presented in a position to be grasped for dispensing purposes so that removal of a desired portion of the tape can be effected without having to pry the strip ends from the roll, as is often the case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser which may be entirely manually operatedl and which, while it requires both hands, is nevertheless a practical contribution to the art, one which, it is believed, will satisfy manufacturing and yassembling requirements of manufacturers, commercial and sales appeal for retailers, and will adequately serve the needs of users to the mutual advantage of all concerned.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by a novel combination embodying a holder, a roll of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape confined and `accessibly mounted for rotation in said holder, a tape end severing blade fixed in said holder in alignment with said roll and spaced therefrom so that the free end of the tape may be drawn over the blade, severedl and detached for use in `a well known manner, a tape measuring roller interposed between and lined up with said roll and blade so that a portion of the tape has friction and driving contact with the periphery of said roller, said roller being mounted for yrotation in said holder and having at least one motion arresting stop rotatable through an orbital path, and a stop shoulder fixed in said holder in the path of rotation of said stop.

M-ore particularly, novelty is predicated on an arrangement wherein the stated stop is a lug which is integral with and projects laterally from one marginal edge portion of the peripheral rim of the measuring roller and wherein the stop shoulder which cooperates therewith is likewise a lug, the latter being iixedly mounted on an interior surface of the wall of the holder, said roller United States Patent being not only rotatable but also slidable so that it may be bodily shifted in a direction toward and from the stop shoulder and so that said stop lug may be optionally allowed to rotate in a path clear of the stop shoulder.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, on a small scale, of the improved holder and dispenser and measuring means;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in section and elevation which may be treated as a central vertical section;

Figures 3 and 4 are sections on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the improved measuring roller.

The encasing support means or holder, as it is broadly treated here, is denoted by the numeral 8. This may be of any appropriate `construction and it is preferably made of commercial plastics embodying two complemental halves or sections denoted generally by the numerals 10 and 12. The adjacent edge portions have overlapping anges or lips 14 and 16, as perhaps best shown in Figure 3. Also, one section, the section 12, has a dowel 18 fitting into a socket provided therefor, as at 20 in Figure 4. The right hand wall in Figures 1 and 3 denoted at 22 has a cylindrical projection 24 telescoping into a cooperatingsocket-like projection 26 on the left hand wall 28 to assist not only in connecting the sections together but t-o provide a hub on which the hub portion of the insertable and removable roll of pressuresensitive tape is mounted in a well known manner. This roll of tape is here denoted by the numeral 30.

An improved feature of this casing type holder is that wherein the wall 22 has a hole 32 therein. The diametrically opposite interior surface of the wall 28 has a de pression providing an axially aligned socket 34. On this same wall and for a purpose to be described, there is an appropriate fixed lug-36 which functions primarily as a cam. On the interior of the wall 22 in a plane below the cam there is an integral lug 38 which constitutes a xed stop shoulder.

These details serve to accommodate the specially constructed measuring roller. This is denoted as a unit by the numeral 40 and comprises a rim 42 and a hub 44, the hub carrying a shaft. Actually, the shaft is made up of two portions, although it may extend through the hub as shown, for example, in Figure 2. In any event, one end portion of the shaft is relatively long, this being the end portion 46, and this is extended through and beyond the hole 32 in the wall 22 where it is rounded at 48 to provide a push-button. Thus, this shaft portion is both rotatable and slidable in the hole 32. The axially aligned shorter portion of the shaft is denoted at 50, and this is slidable and journaled'in the socket 34, as perhaps best shown in Figure 4. If desired, there may be an inwardly projecting boss 52 which forms a sort of a reinforcing collar for the shaft end Sii. On this side of the roller, that is, the marginal edge 54, there is a clearance notch 56 which cooperates with the aforementioned inwardly projecting cam 36. Onthe opposite marginal edge 58, there is an outstanding lug 60 which provides a stop element. This obviously serves to arrest the rotation of the roller. The roller is normally intended to turn throughout a complete circle and then stop, which serves, obviously, to measure the length of tape which is ycapable of being withdrawn, permitting the length to be severed by the cutting blade 62 which is shown in Figure 2 and is conveniently arranged for this purpose. It follows that the roll of tape, measuring roller 40 and severing or cutting blade are in proper alignment. Actually,

Patented Dec. 10, 1957 will be evident, however, that this roller may he .both ro tated and slid, that is, from right to left in Figure 3. By pressing on the push-button 48, the shaft 46`is slid over and so is the roller, and there is clearance provided inthe socket 34 to permit this shift.

It will be clear that 'the clearance notch 56 is substan-A tially diametrically opposite to the stoplug 60, and therefore, the shoulder 38, stop lug 60, clearance notch .56 .and cam cooperate in permitting the predetermined circle of rotation and also shifting of the measuring roller 40v so that when it is shifted from .right .to left in Figure 3, the lug 60 will miss or clear the -stop shoulder 38. Assu-ming, then, that the roller is normally in the position shown in Figure 3 `and it vis desired to dispense a measured length ,of tape, the user puts a finger through the accommodation notch 70, as brought out in Figure l. He catches hold of the free end .portion 72 of the 4tape and pulls it off the roller in a well known manner. The adhesive side of the tape is tracked over the surface of the rim 42 of the measuring roller 40. Therefore, this roller is turned as the end portion of tape is being dispensed. To permit this turning of the roller, it is necessary first to hold the holder 8 in the left hand, for example, and press a finger against .the push-button 48 and to shove the roller 40 over from right to left. The roller is now free to rotate. Promptly thereafter, .the push-button 48 is released and this shift is permitted by the clearance notch 56 and cam 36. However, the cam now comes back and cams the edge 54 and bodily shifts and returns the roller to its stop.

normal path of rotation so .that when the stop lug 60 4 comes around again, it strikes the shoulder 38 and checks the roller at one complete revolution. This measures the amount of .tape which is withdrawn. If it is desired to use a Shorter piece, it is necessary to stop the rotation of the roller 40 before the dead stop position is reached in Figure 3.

The foregoing is `considered as -illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes `will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may ybe resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is .claimed as new is as follows:

11. VFor use in holding and handily dispensing selective predetermined length portions of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape put up in customary rollA form, in combination: a holder for a roll of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, a tape measuring roller with which a portion of the tape has friction and driving contact, said roller having an axial journaling and sliding shaft, said holder having spaced parallel walls, one wall having a socket in which one end portion of said shaft is axially slidable and journaled for rotation, the other wall having a hole extending therethrough in alignment `with said socket, the adjacent end of said shaft extending through and outwardly beyond said hole and also being thus slidably journaled in said hole, the outwardly extending end portion constituting a push-button and serving to 2. The structure defined in claim 1 Iand wherein said stop is a lug integral with and projecting laterally from one marginal edge of the peripheral rim of said roller, and said stop shoulder is likewise a lug fixedly mounted in said holder.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein the other marginal edge of said rim has a clearance notch which is directly opposite to said stop lug, said holder also having a fixed cam coopcrable with said notch and also having wiping contact with the unnotched edge of said other marginal edge portion, whereby said roller is 'auto-.1

matically returned to its normal path of rotation.

4. For use in holding and handily dispensing predeter-y mined portions of a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape which is put up in customary roll form for handy use, in com. bination, a holder, comprising a case having spaced par-g allel walls, one wall having a hole completely therethrough, the opposite wall having a socket therein alignedk with said hole, and a measuring roller comprising a rim and a hub having a shaft extending therethrough, one end of said shaft projecting slidably and rotatably into said. socket, the other end of said shaft extending through andl beyond said hole, the wall having said hole being provided interiorly with an integral lug providing a stop shoulder, the cooperating marginal edge of the rim of said roller having an outstanding stop lug coopcrable with said shoulder at a predetermined angle 0f rotation, the op-:

posite marginal edge of said roller having a clearance notch, and the adjacent wall having an inwardly projecting cam coopcrable with said notch as well as the adjacent marginal edge portion of said rim.

5. For use in holding and dispensing selective predetermined length portions of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape put up in customary roll form, in combination; a holder for a roll of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, a tape measuring roller mounted 4for rotation in said holder and having at least one motion arresting stop rotatable through an orbital path, and a stop shoulder iixed to said holder in the path of rotation of said stop, said stop comprising 'a lug integral with and projecting laterally from one marginal edge of the peripheral rim of said roller, and said stop shoulder likewise being a lug xedly mounted in said holder, said roller being rotatable and also slidable, Whereby it may be bodily shifted in a direction toward and from.

said stop shoulder and so that said stop lug may be optionally allowed to rotate in a path to clear said ystop shoulder.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 and wherein the other marginal edge of said rim has a clearance notch which is directly opposite to said stop lug, said holder alsol having a lixed cam coopcrable with lsaid notch and also having wiping contact with the unnotched edge of said marginal edge portion, whereby said roller is automatically returned to its normal path of rotation.

References Cited in the le ofy this patent 

